iStockphoto / serajace
To close out last month, angler Emilie Song was fishing with guide Paul Myers in South Texas on the coast. According to Bob McNally of OutdoorLife, the largest fish Emilie had ever caught prior to that night was a 6-pound bass, which, to be fair, probably put up an incredible fight but it pales in comparison to the potentially record-setting alligator gar she reeled in.
The fish took her around 30 minutes to reel in while it peeled out 100 yards of 100lb test braid. Fishing guide Paul Myers told OL “She had a hard time with that fish. She told me she thought the rod was going to melt into her hands.” …I’ve been there. You are just holding on for dear life in hopes that the fish tires itself out sooner than later.
Once they got it to the boat they lassoed the fish to get it near shore so they could take measurements at 100 inches from tip to tail and a whopping 50 inch girth! Check out her absolute beast of an alligator gar:
In total, they caught 12 alligator gar on this trip but the 8’4″ fish landed by Emilie Song was the largest and according to OutdoorLife it’s quite possible this is the largest alligator gar ever caught by a woman.
They estimated her fish was somewhere in the realm of 300 pounds. Estimates like that are tough but they released all of the fish they caught so an estimate will just have to make due for now.
Looking at the current IGFA world records for alligator gar, the largest registered fish for women’s records is a 132 lb 6 oz fish caught by angler Jennifer Schall on 80-pound test while fishing the Trinity River, in Texas. If this fish above really was in the 300 pound range it would have shattered that record.
Now think about this for a moment… She was fishing with 100-pound test braided fishing line. A 250-500 pound fish can be caught on line that strong. With that in mind… This time last year, Capt. Kirk Kirkland managed to bring in a 283-pound alligator gar with angler Arthur Weston and they were fishing with 6-pound test!
That fish was also 100 inches but was 2 inches shorter in the girth than Emilie’s 100′ (length) x 50′ (girth) alligator gar.